Operation: Smash and Grab
by usernamealwaystaken
Summary: Dragontalia AU. The Nordic dragons must do what dragons do - collect gold. With a foolproof plan like this, what can go wrong? Operation: Smash and Grab is now underway!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not, and won't ever, own Hetalia or its characters. Story's all mine tho.**

The morning dew cascaded from the short blades of grass as little paws ran across them. The sun hung high in the sky and casted a bright yellow glow onto the face of the dragon cub, emerging from the thick bushes. The cub cooed with glee as he stood on top of a cliff facing the vast blue expanse of the ocean. Behind him came rustling leaves and the voices of others. Four to be exact. All belonging to other, older dragons. Each of their footfalls shook the ground beneath Emil as they inched closer. Emil turned around and was faced with four older dragons. A menagerie of sharp teeth and claws towered over him. The dragons looked down at him with piercing eyes, with tattered wings spread out. Emil looked up at them and before he could utter a single word, one of them pounced.

The dragon sailed right over his head and dove into the waters below. Two of the others followed suit, but one - the tallest one- stayed put, staring at Emil. His scales shone red in the morning light. He waved his spiked tail erratically and smiled a wide, toothy grin.

"Yo, Emil! Ain'tcha gonna swim with the rest of your bros? I mean, it sucks that I can't be with you, being a fire dragon and all," Mathias said, patting Emil on the back with his large paw.

"I'm not swimming" Emil said, shrugging off Mathias' paw.

"Well, ya can't stay here!" Mathias exclaimed. He grabbed Emil gently, taking into account Emil's small size relative to his own strength and flew down to the shore.

In the shallow water, Tino and Berwald ran around claiming they were looking for fish. In reality, Berwald was chasing Tino, who may or may not have been enjoying himself. Tino has been intimidated by Berwald for quite some time now, but really, who hasn't been? Berwald is shorter than Mathias, but is definitely bigger than him. He has blue scales and piercing sky blue eyes capable of petrifying humans where they stand. He lumbers around on four relatively short legs and has a large jaw with sharp teeth.

Tino, on the other hand, is tiny. He's barely bigger than Emil. He's chubby and has small, black wings, so he has difficulties flying for long distances. His eyes are violet and has an almost ever-present smile. While that may seem pathetic, in his true form, he becomes much bigger and much more menacing. His wings blanch white to match the rest of his scales and his violet eyes turn silver and develop crosshairs with deadly accuracy. Mathias learned that last part the hard way after he teased Tino way too much for his small stature.

The only one doing real work was Lukas, who was Emil's actual brother. He's of average height and has a sleek build. He dove in repeatedly, water rolling off his waterproof wings, each time scooping up a fish and depositing it into a pile on the shore. His indigo eyes were calculating and focused, occasionally send a sneer to Berwald and Tino. Why should he have to do all the work?

After the fish was captured and the sun had hung low in the sky, Berwald scooped up the catch of the day in his massive jaws and started to head back into the cave they carved into a mountain.

A/N: Okay, I know this chapter was pretty boring, but I promise it gets better in the next chapter. This was just to show off the appearances and personalities of some of the characters.


	2. Chapter 2

Emil laid down at the mouth of the cave, silently watching the snow fall. Everyone else was discussing battle plans for tomorrow night. The plan was usually to storm the castle of a new kingdom every year to add gold to their already gigantic mountain of riches. The raids were that of legend. Every dragon in the north knew about the raids of the deadly Nordic Four. Four, and not five. Lukas was very adamant about Emil not joining them. "He's just a cub" he would always say.

"I'm not just a cub anymore." Emil whispered to himself.

"Really? Ya still look like a cub ta me" a voice called from beside him.

Emil looked towards the direction of the voice, slightly startled at its presence. It had been his best friend, Mr. Puffin, whom he had befriended a while back. Mr. Puffin shook the snow from his feathers and perched himself atop Emil's head. Emil huffed at the bird's statement and shook him off his head. Once he had the puffin on the ground he stood over him and growled, bearing his serrated fangs.

Mr. Puffin scoffed and said dramatically "Oh, have mercy foul beast! I quiver with fear from your terrible fish breath!"

Emil stopped growling and returned to sulking in a corner of the cave. Of course he wasn't scary. Not even to a bird half his size. His brothers were all way better than him. Mathias could breathe fire, Berwald had amazing strength, Tino had stealth, and Lukas' very presence held authority. Emil, on the other hand, had no redeeming qualities. His teeth and claws could barely put a dent in anything. He had no amazing powers. He had no commanding presence. He had nothing. Just a +1 to the great Nordic Four.

Mr. Puffin walked - well, it was more of a waddle- over to Emil. "Hey tough guy, quit beatin' yourself up over this. You'll go on all kinds a' crazyass adventures when you're older. As for right now, ya just gotta learn from ya bros."

Emil pondered this for a while and his face lit up. "Yeah. I'll just learn from them."

"Exactly."

"I just need to follow their examples."

"Exactly."

"So I'll go with them on their raid tomorrow!"

"Exac- wait, what?"

"How am I supposed to learn how they do things if I'm cooped up in the cave all day long? I'll just go along with them! Thanks Mr. Puffin!" he said, as he took off further into the cave.

"Wait, kid! That's not what I meant!" he called after him, but it was too late. There's no way he would venture deeper into the cave, where it's dark and there are dragons that are actually scary. He sighed and flew back to his own home, hoping Emil wouldn't make some stupid decision.

Further in one of the chambers in their labyrinth-like home, Mathias, Tino, Berwald, and Lukas discussed their plans for tomorrow night. More or less.

"Come on guys! It's the same routine every year! Do we really need to meet about it every time?" Mathias said, chewing the bones of a recently-eaten fish.

"We wouldn't have to keep talking about it if you would stop getting so arrogant when it comes to storming the castle." Lukas said matter-of-factly.

"Look, I'm obviously the strongest out of us," Mathias said, earning a glare from Berwald "so I should take on the castle alone. Besides, I don't want you guys getting hurt."

"This is a quick in-and-out mission. Just a simple smash and grab. We won't get hurt." Tino mumbled.

They finally got to actually talk about the method of attack thanks to Lukas. As they discussed their attack plan, Emil hung around, eavesdropping. He wanted to make sure he knew how to sneak out with them without getting caught.

"And finally, Emil stays here. Right, lillebror?" Lukas said, turning towards Emil.

The tiny cub refused to say anything. Had he really known he was there the whole time? Impossible. He was perfectly hidden behind a stalagmite and a few rocks.

"I know you were listening in on us lillebror."

Lukas walked over to Emil's hiding place and picked him up gently in his mouth. Emil remained silent, preparing himself for the scolding he would get for eavesdropping. However, he was just placed next to a pile of fish.

"One day, you're gonna be part of our group for reals! Then we'll be the Nordic Five! Sounds cooler than Nordic Four doesn't it?" Mathias said gleefully.

"You should learn the kinds of missions we go on if you're going to join us." Lukas said

"I get to go with you?" Emil said. He stood and almost started wagging his tail.

"When you're older."

Emil plopped back down and emitted an irritated sigh. He ate a fair share of the fish and their once productive discussion devolved into a fight between Berwald and Mathias with Tino trying to prompt them to stop. Mathias constantly looked back towards Lukas and tried to see if he was impressed with his fighting skills. Lukas looked on as Berwald took advantage of Matt's averted attention. By this time, Tino took on his second, more impressive form and tried to break up the fight more forcefully. Emil had gotten bored and left to go to a different chamber of the cave. His family was impressive when they work together, but can be annoying or even embarrassing when they fight amongst each other.

Emil happened upon the gold chamber whilst wandering through his home. There was an opening at the side of the cave to let the light in. Dragons loved to feel of gold and the way they shone in the light. Emil was instantly mesmerized at the mountain of gold acquired of his brothers' centuries of raiding. This was a testament to the Nordic Four's fame. And if Emil had his way, by tomorrow night, he would have his own addition to the mountain of gold and would be part of the legendary Nordic Five.


	3. Chapter 3

Today's the day and it's hectic as hell. Mathias was excitedly pacing around the cave, waiting to set out to the kingdom of their victims-to-be. Berwald and Tino were busy sealing off the gold chamber. Even though no dragon in their right mind would dare even enter the cave of the Nordic Four, even when no one's home, they didn't want to take any chances. Most dragons were kleptomaniacs, but the smaller ones were basically mindless slaves to a bigger dragon.

"Remember to stay inside the deeper parts of the cave until we come back." Lukas lectured.

"Got it." Emil replied, voice laced with annoyance.

"We'll be back by tomorrow morning."

"Mhm."

"There's fish here in the central chamber."

"I can see that."

"And Hanatomago will-"

"-be here to babysit and I am not to take her out for a walk no matter how she begs, I got it Luke. Quit treating me like a cub."

Lukas simply ruffled Emil's mane and said, "Still a cub."

Emil huffed and made his way towards the cave entrance. He hoped that Mr. Puffin would see them off so that he could discuss the plan, but the bird was too scared of dragons to show up. Emil rested his head on a nearby rock and started to doze off. They wouldn't be leaving until later on today anyway.

When he awoke, he found himself deeper inside the cave where the light of the moon and the stars would not dare reach. He yawned and sighed tiredly as he tried to get up. However, he was hindered by a fluffy white tail wrapped around him. Hana, Tino's adlet*, lay perfectly content, snuggling with Emil in her sleep. Her white fur tickled Emil's snout. The young dragon, annoyed with his babysitter (not that he needed one of course. He was a big dragon and no one could tell him otherwise), decided to get ready for his departure.

That is, if he had anything to prepare. He hadn't even thought of a solid plan yet. _Þetta reddast_, he thought to himself, and scurried off to the cave entrance. Which was almost completely sealed up.

Emil's ears lowered and his jaw dropped. _He slept through the departure_. How was he supposed to get there on time now? He growled to himself and paced around the front chamber, while Hana sat down in front of him and wags her tail. Emil ignores her and continues to think.

"Goddammit, Hana! How am I supposed to prove my worth now?" he suddenly exclaimed. He flopped down on his back, all four paws in the air. He glanced lazily at Hana and decided to just give up. But then his face lit up and he smiled a rare smile.

"Hey Hana, wanna go for a walk?"

The moon rose high in the sky, illuminating the short, dark grass beneath them. The path was non-existent as the trees grew in both size and number as they progressed. The brambles scraped her legs, occasionally leaving scraps of her fur on the forest floor. Still, she ran onwards in a directionless sprint. Her thick, white paws trampled across silver streams and leapt over the thorny bushes. There was no point in stopping her when she was like this. Her instincts were at their peak. She dodged obstacles without hesitation.

Run.

Jump.

Run.

Duck.

Run.

Run.

_Run._

Wait!

She skided to a stop, nearly dropping Emil in the process. He would've had a few remarks for her, had he not noticed the change in the environment as well. And it was not hard to notice at all. A giant chasm stood in their way. A chilled wind wafted upwards from the deep crevice, creating a visible fog. Hana backed and whimpered with her tail between her legs.

"Leaving so soon~?" a voice called out. "Don't you want to be friends?"

Both Hana and Emil stood in shocked silence. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Neither of their ears could pinpoint the sound. Panic set in and Hana fled back the way she came.

"Uhuhuhu~" the voice returned. A large shadow shaded the two travelers. Regardless of how quickly they fled, the shadow would constantly hover over them like a vulture preparing to strike. Soon enough, an enormous figure descended upon them, landing in front of them.

"We don't want children who can't play nice, right?"

AN: Okay, so I'm not sure, but I think my writing style accidentally changed, and I don't like it. I'm writing an English essay at the same time as this, and I can't focus on plot, but here I have to. Reviews here will be really appreciated and I thank those who have already provided feedback on this and Bad First Impressions. Seriously, you guys rock ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)!

*Adlet: A half-dog, half-human creature of Intuit and Greenlandic mythology. I've seen many different pictures of it, but I think it looks like a dog-satyr.


	4. Chapter 4

The snow had just fallen over the heads of the Swiss people. It stuck to everything it touched and added a layer of fluff to every street and sidewalk. Of course this prompted every child to frolic in streets since no carriages would be able to pass. Mothers watched their children play and fathers set about shoveling snow, with the occasional snowball fight with their families. All people across the land reveled in the year's first snowfall throughout the morning hours.

All except for the royal family, stuck to manage their duties 24/7.

Princess Lili sighed as she stood in her room watching the merriment below. Sometimes she wished she wasn't royalty in the first place, but then she quickly withdraws that statement. Her biological parents were abusive and only used her as an excuse to get out of things they didn't want to do or to get things cheaper. Running away was her best option, so she became a street urchin, albeit a very bad one. She didn't have the strength or guts to actually steal from someone. Starving and alone in the rainy streets, she decided to give up. That is, until the king himself took her in.

She didn't care about the riches. Or the servants. Or being heiress to the throne. She only cared about her big brother. She finally found someone who cares, and she would miss a million snow days for that.

Berwald kept close to Tino as they neared the Swiss kingdom. He nudged his shoulder lightly with his nose, careful not to topple his miniature companion with his massive strength.

"B' careful" he grumbled.

Tino looked up at him, smiled and nudged him back. "Don't worry about it Ber, I've done this a thousand times."

"Ja, but 'm still worried 'bout m'wife."

"I'm not your wife! I'm a man silly."

"Cute…"

Lukas and Mathias weren't far behind them on the mountain they had chosen as their perch. Mathias listened in on them and exchanged a look with Lukas. Lukas just turned away.

"Alright lovebirds, time ta get to work! It's all you, Tiny!" Mathias practically yelled

"Don't cause an avalanche idiot." Lukas said, with his characteristically monotone voice

"And it's Tino, not Tiny." Tino huffed before flying off on his stubby wings. Tino used the thick snow as camouflage, trudging right underneath the feet of the unsuspecting humans. He looked back at Berwald, who was hiding in the dense forest on the edge of the kingdom. He then looked at Lukas and Mathias, who were in position atop the mountain.

_I got this._

Tino then leapt out of the snow and roared pathetically. He learned to not let this form bother him. Compared to other dragons, he was a useless speck in his normal form, but it didn't take long for them to bow at his feet. He turned Team Scandinavia into the Nordic Four for a reason, after all. He scampered about in a circle in the center of the town square in an attempt to grab the attention of some guards, mentally taunting them as he scanned whatever weapons they armed themselves with. Just a couple of longspears and arming swords, with the occasional bow and arrow. Weak.

"Dragon!"

"After it!"

"Don't let it get away! There's no telling what it can do!"

A flurry of guards chased after Tino. He kept diving beneath the snow whenever he changed directions to dupe them. Dammit, these were just regular guards. He needed at least some castle guards to pay attention to him. The guards were now throwing spears and firing arrows at him. His stubby legs could not carry him for much longer, and he could notice Berwald getting too worked up in the corner of his eyes.

That's it. Now or never.

Tino transformed into his second form. His stout body grew long and rigid. His wings and eyes turned a silvery white, easily camouflaging him with the rest of the snow. He stood on his hind legs and roared a much more ferocious roar. He loved this moment. No. He lived for it. He, in his second form, had no desire to be docile or sub-par in comparison to other dragons. It was like his two forms had minds of their own. He scanned the terrified faces of onlookers with his crosshair-imprinted eyes. The accuracy of his sniper eyes made this moment all the sweeter. He could take in every eye twitch, every quivering lip, and every shivering limb, racked with stress.

Tino smiled and bared his fangs. He spread his impressive wings out and used his slender tail to smash in rooftops. Berwald rose from the trees soundlessly and grabbed any valuables inside, from gold watches to family heirlooms. He preferred to be quick so that his 'wife' wouldn't need to be around the sometimes dangerous humans for too long. Much like Mathias, he held his family in high regards and liked quick missions.

The guards, armed only with bow and arrows, arming swords, and longspears, were too afraid to attack. With a banshee-like screech, Tino sent the vast majority of the guards running. Those who remained either fainted or wet themselves. A cacophony of yells for the castle guards to take action rang throughout the city. Civilians and guards alike evacuated the area, taking shelter in the many underground bunkers held within the town.

Tino frowned. While the death of the humans wasn't the objective, he wouldn't have minded having some more skulls to add to his private collection. A nudge to the shoulder from Berwald snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Nice work. Keep goin'." he grumbled

Tino nudged him back and continued smashing in rooftops. He kept an eye on the castle guards, who were setting up catapults. He emitted a low growl and flung debris at them, while Berwald used his thick scales to shield Tino from any incoming attack.

Mathias was practically bouncing with excitement. In fact, he was bouncing with excitement and being an annoyance to Lukas in general. Lukas slapped him with his wing and glared.

"I already told you, don't start an avalanche, fool. This plan must be perfect."

"Aw, c'mon. _We're_ perfect! There's no way a little landslide could hurt our mission. Operation: Smash and Grab Phase One is officially underway!"


	5. Chapter 5

Emil and Hana stared haphazardly with frantic eyes, trying to take in the sight of the creature before him. They had never seen a dragon like this before. Six pairs of eyes gazed down at them. The three-headed dragon had dingy white fur all over its massive body, sans the head in the middle. Instead, it had thick, dark gray scales with snowy white scales adorning its muzzle. Unlike the other two heads, who had violet eyes, this one had black, beady eyes that could thrust you into the void without a second thought. Eyes that commanded the icy zephyrs on their nightly rounds. Unblinking, unwavering eyes that continuously bore into your very soul and froze your very core. The embodiment of the tundra. The general of winter itself.

"They're so cute Vanya. I just want to hug them!" The cheery head on the right exclaimed.

"Yeah Ivan. I just want to hug them _to death_. What about you, Winter?" The sinister one on the left hissed, baring his fangs.

Both heads looked up to the one in the middle, as if for permission. Once they received no answer, they took a step forward. Hana immediately jumped ahead and growled. She placed Emil, who was frozen with both fear and the biting cold that whipped his face, on the floor behind her. A protective aura seemed to emanate from her in defiance of the massive beast before her.

"A cute puppy!" Ivan said, bringing his head down to look at her. His head alone was more than twice her height. A quick nudge sent her to the snow-covered floor. "Can we keep her?" Ivan gently lifted her off the ground with his mouth. Although his fangs weren't digging into her, she still panicked. Hana kicked at his bottom lip and tried to claw at his nostrils. The more she thrashed, the more Ivan gripped her arm, eventually drawing blood.

"Goddammit Ivan, you're useless. It needs discipline. Give it to me." Vanya said, grabbing her leg. He didn't even bother with being gentle and broke her ankle remorselessly. The tug-o-war continued despite Hana's desperate screams. Soon enough, her arm and leg were ripped from their sockets. She plummeted to the ground, dead on impact. The dragons spat out her now useless limbs. Emil's knees buckled, averting his eyes from the bloody heap that lay just a few feet in front of him.

"You broke it." Vanya said, disappointment clear in his voice.

"No I didn't! You kept pulling her!" Ivan sighed, picking his new plaything up by her other arm.

"Oh no you don't! I wanna play with it!" Vanya growled and lifted her by her other leg. Hana's corpse was hoisted higher and higher up into the air. Despite the irritating argument being carried on by his childish brothers, Winter's stare never ceased. He looked ahead, straight at Emil. He flinched only when Hana's body was pulled into his line of sight. Annoyed, the dragon lunged forward, snatching Hana from his immature brothers. She was gone in an instant. Winter licked his bloody maw clean and continued to stare into Emil's fear stricken eyes.

_This isn't real_, Emil thought to himself. _She's not dead._

_I'm back home._

_My family is home._

_I'm not going to die._

Emil couldn't move. Even if he found the mental strength to pull himself out of the trance, the cold winds weakened him. It felt as though the ice was consuming him, eating at his life force. He could hear nothing but the wind whipping his ears through his fur. That is, until he heard a chorus of growls from the behemoth. This is the end. Emil closed his eyes and embraced death.

Which never came.

The growls came from Vanya and Ivan, directed towards Winter. They spoke a few words in their native tongue that the young dragon couldn't understand. He figured they were mad at the cold hearted murderer for eating their "puppy". Emil's sorrow became confusion. He stared up at the dragon, and a little glimmer of hope showed itself.

They were fighting themselves.

Vanya bit down on Winter's head. Ivan tried to shove Vanya's head away while simultaneously grabbing the base of Winter's neck with his jaw. The dragon's left and right hands slapping and clawing at each other would've been comical, had it not been so terrifying. The dragon's tail thrashed and their wings flared out, knocking down a few trees. Blood gushed out of wounds on all three dragons.

But Winter's gaze remained on Emil.

Vanya's arm abandoned its fight with Ivan's arm and started work on Winter's face. With each swing, Winter's gaze faltered, and with each falter, Emil felt the cold leave his body. With Vanya tugging on Winter's head, and Ivan tugging on Winter's neck, the two dragons tore him apart. His scales fell to the ground and his blood stained his brothers' coats. Eventually the middle head plummeted to the ground in pieces, further smashing Hana's abandoned limbs.

Suddenly, the cold winds stopped. As if the season alone had imposed itself on them, the now two-headed dragon seemed much more bearable. It was as if they had lost all hatred and the winter didn't even exist. It even looked like there had never been a third head on it in the first place, for the bloody gaping hole and a chunk of Winter's spine still left in the body had completely disappeared. The only evidence of Winter's existence was his giant head on the ground, eyes still wide open. After a few seconds, however, Winter's severed head turned to ash which vanished like the snow from the landscape. Surprisingly, there was actually green grass and colorful flowers underneath the frigid snow.

Ivan and Vanya lowered their heads to take in each flower's scent. They didn't even notice the petrified dragon cub until he took a tentative step forward. The fresh grass rustled softly beneath his feet. He found himself finally being able to talk. The only problem now was what to say to the ten ton giant who just ate his friend and decapitated their own brother. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"I, um, I am…" he trailed off. He couldn't look the beast in the eyes. He had to keep on their good side so he wouldn't get eaten. However, there was a boiling rage inside of him directed towards them. He was dealing with a monster, so he had to keep his cool.

"I am Emil, of the Nordic Five, and I-"

Suddenly, the dragon shot its heads forward. Ivan held him by his mane, while Vanya put his snout right up to his own. The young cub was silenced again as he stared into the violet abyss of Vanya's eyes. It was as if he turned the Earth and brought back the winter with half a sentence. The icy chill in his voice shook Emil to his core.

"What is it that you want with the Nordics?"

**AN: I'm so sorry that I just stopped updating this story just to post this shit. tbh, I had so much trouble with this chapter. I probably started this over at least 5 times and I don't even like the way it is now. Yes I'm still continuing this until the end, just bear with me. Thanks to all who followed/favorite/reviewed. I'll have That's Just A Myth updated at some point too.**

**Btw, if the whole three-headed dragon thing was too confusing:**

**Ivan: right head**

**Winter: middle head**

**Vanya: left head**


	6. Chapter 6

As Emil hung from Ivan's deadly and still bloodstained jaws, he could feel himself go numb. His skin was crawling and it made him nauseous. The contents of his stomach swirled around uncomfortably. The dragon before him was scarily unpredictable and he could tell by the wild look in Vanya's eyes that his prolonged silence could go on no longer. As he mustered up the courage to speak, he couldn't help but to fidget with his paws and direct his gaze elsewhere.

"Like I said, uh, they're my family and they went-"

"So you know where they are?!" Vanya practically growled out, pushing his muzzle closer to Emil's. The young cub could only nod weakly and absentmindedly tried to scratch at a persistent itch on his back. Just then, he felt himself being flung backwards. He landed roughly on the dragon's back and was immediately faced with two Cheshire-cat grins from his captors.

"Take us to them!" they said in unison.

As if he had a choice. Before Emil could even contemplate a resistance, the massive dragon spread out its pale wings and stood on its hind legs. Emil had to claw into the deeply matted fur between the two necks as Ivan and Vanya began their ascent. This was not unfamiliar to Emil, as he often had to do the same whenever his brothers wanted to take him anywhere, but clearly this dragon was in no way any of his brothers. He had no way to know what would happen on this journey with this unpredictable stranger, especially when they found out that he had no idea where his brothers were either. He didn't even know why they wanted to find them. Then, as if he read his mind, Ivan said cheerfully.

"They are our best friends! We haven't seen them in a while, but I'm sure they'll be happy to see us again, right Vanya?"

"I'd love to see the look on Tino's face when we show up." Vanya responded with his usual sinister tone.

Then it hit him. Emil knew this guy was. Yeah, he just made his observations about him but now he _knew_ who he was. He recalled a time when he used to sit around a fire, courtesy of Mathias, with his family. They would exchange stories in the dark winter nights to keep them entertained and to help Emil fall asleep. Emil insisted that Mr. Puffin should join them, but he always declined. On one of the first nights of his first winter with the Nordic 4, Tino told a story about a fight he had with a gigantic dragon just east of his old home. Having never seen Tino's true form, Emil thought it impossible for him to have defeated such a great beast and dismissed it as a falsified tale of grandeur. Now the story rang in his ears as if Tino said them just yesterday.

"Hello~!" said the unfortunately familiar voice of Ivan. "Is anyone home up there? Where are we supposed to go?"

Emil noticed they were idle in midair, the brothers flapping their wings restlessly to keep their massive body up. He had to think quickly, or risk being killed on the spot. He forced himself to look down and felt nauseous again almost instantly. He was usually good with heights, but he was feeling rather anxious at the time. He looked back down and spotted an area rich with dense foliage.

"They mentioned something about making a stop there." He lied. And it was a terrible lie. Why would they stop in a random patch of bush that was certainly nowhere near where they were going? Luckily for Emil though, Ivan obeyed. Vanya had his suspicions though. This caused a midair struggle, with one wing trying to stay upright, and the other trying to swoop down. Emil slumped down and gripped the fur on the nape of the dragon's neck while they spun out of control.

"Why the hell would they stop in some shitty patch of grass?" Vanya questioned.

"Oh come on, they're hiding of course! No doubt they're on one of their…what was it called? "Operation Slash and Nab?"

"Smash and Grab…" Emil practically growled out. The venom in his voice surprised him as he remembered his place in the situation.

Ivan either didn't hear or ignored him, and for that, Emil was grateful. "Have a little faith in our new friend." He said, as he descended into the dense bush that was large enough to even house the two of them. Vanya just rolled his eyes and accepted.

Emil lost no time jumping off the dragon's back once they landed. "I'll look over here!" he said, pointing his paw in a random direction. Finally, he had a chance to get away from him! The erratic beating of his heart was matched only by the sound of his paws thumping on the ground with every stride. Despite not knowing where he was going, a triumphant smile made its way onto his face. He was glad Ivan fell for it, though it was weird how he called him his "friend", as if he didn't just murder Hana with his brothers. Oh gods, what would Tino say…

"Hey friend~!" said Ivan as he brought his head down in front of Emil to be at eye level. Emil gasped and flinched. As Ivan rambled on, Emil felt his world shatter. He was only free for a few seconds. He stared blankly ahead at the violet eyes of the one that kept him prisoner. Actually, that honor should go to Vanya. If Ivan was a one headed dragon, no doubt he might've been let off. However, Vanya's presence made it that much more difficult. He could only imagine what would happen if Winter was still here.

"Hello~! Jeez you keep spacing out today! Anyway, these are our friends!" Emil looked behind Ivan and noticed three frightened dragons. The tallest one had small, brown scales with flecks of green on his back. Ivan pointed to him and said, "This is Toris," he then pointed to a slightly shorter one with sharp, defined yellow scales, "this is Eduard," and he finally pointed to the smallest one, smaller than Emil even, with medium length brown fur, "and this is Raivis." The trio looked at Emil if only to keep their eyes off Ivan. Clearly they were not his friends either. Vanya shoved Eduard forward, "This one knows about humans. So, who's getting invaded now, _'friend'_?"

"I don't know of any invasions going on now…" he replied, still not looking at him.

"Really? I thought the Swi-" Raivis started, but was shut up by Toris' shift in facial expression. Vanya lifted up Raivis by the scruff of his neck.

"RAIVIIIIIIS!" the other two called out to their perpetually shaking friend.

"What was that?" Vanya asked, maintaining his creepy smile. "It would be a shame if any vital information was withheld from us, huh?" he said, fanning out his free claws and smiling so hard he made sure his canines showed to their full extent. Raivis just continued shaking, but managed to say something that sounded like "Swiss kingdom" before he fainted. Toris and Eduard both facepalmed at their chatty friend. They broke out of this, however, when they needed to catch their unconscious friend, as Vanya just dropped him without a second thought.

"Good, then we're going to Switzerland!" Ivan said, cheerfully and he gently placed Emil back on his head. Emil noticed Eduard and Toris giving him a sympathetic look before they took off. He honestly couldn't feel mad at Raivis for giving it away, and he appreciated how the other two tried to hide it. Obviously Vanya and Ivan were too scary to cross and he himself didn't know how he would react in that situation. He just sat down, fully aware of how much the universe hated him, and waited for hell to break loose.

* * *

As Tino gathered up the smaller amounts of gold, Berwald kept him covered defensively. The common guards were like little ants biting as their heels, but they could be managed. The castle guards were the real problem. They turned to catapulting flaming projectiles at them, and the hits caused a few scales to pop off Berwald's sides. Lukas and Mathias, waiting in the distance, noticed this and took it as time to act. They didn't even need to speak; they were already so in sync that their actions spoke for them. They took up their positions at either side of the castle. This would usually cause the castle guards to scatter, but they held fast to their own positions. Lukas looked mildly impressed, but stuck with the plan.

* * *

Vash could only deploy more guards to fight the band of dragons. The kingdom was largely based on the defense that the mountains provided and the fact that there were no dragons nearby who dared to attack. The guards were trained to fight dragons, but this group was unlike the other, stupid creatures. They actually had a plan and attacked in groups. He'd have to step in to fight off the mongrels.

"Um, brother…" a small voice broke him out of his musings.

"Lili! What are you doing here? It's too dangerous here, go to the bunker." He said, leading here away from the throne room. She gripped his sleeve tightly and the troubled king could already tell where this was going.

"You know I can't come with you." He said solemnly.

Lili sighed and let go of his sleeve. "I know, you have to go fight. Just… be safe ok?"

Vash pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look. Now go." He put his crown on her head before she left. It was a bit big on her, but she managed anyway. As she left, she forced herself not to look back.

The king went back to the large window that sat in his throne room. The one of the two dragons were being worn down by the catapults, so he figured he would only need more manpower in the towers. That is, until another two so brazenly positioned themselves on the sides of the castle out of the way of the catapults. Vash grimaced and took one of his weapons in his hands. He was the best at using the bow and arrow, but that obviously would have no use against the heavily scaled enemies. Instead, he took his sword and stared at it. Taking up a battle-ready stance, he only hoped that he could keep his promise to Lili.


	7. Chapter 7

Emil had fallen asleep rather quickly after Ivan and Vanya's departure to Switzerland. He hesitated to curl up in the plush fur of the dragon's back, but after the day he had, rest was necessary. Luckily for him, Ivan and Vanya chose to talk amongst themselves rather than with him. The once sickeningly sweet voices of the behemoth now soothed him to sleep. And he hated it. He hated how he was forced to stay close to this monster. He hated how they actually thought he was their friend. He hated how, even though the initial savageness of the dragon had depleted with the coming of spring, the dragon still struck fear in him. Yet he could go to sleep near him just like that, completely unguarded. As the brisk wind combed through his mane, a sweet dream plucked him from this terrible nightmare.

_A dark sky loomed overhead, brightened only by the flecks of fire emanating from the crossfires. In battles between humans and dragons, the victor was obvious. Emil stood proudly atop the cliff face, flanked by the rest of the Nordic Five. Now far away from his mane-clad childhood, Emil was now adorned with smooth yet sharp scales and his wings cast an overpowering shadow over the mortified faces of the humans who dared to believe even for a second that they would survive this night. This isn't just for gold. This is for glory._

"_Brother, what are your orders?" Lukas asked from his left._

_Emil lifted his head with pride. He looks to his left, seeing Lukas and Tino ready for battle. He then looks to his right, where Berwald and Mathias stand poised and ready for the attack. Finally, he looked forward, where, beyond the army of humans, lay his prize. A castle filled to the brim with gold and jewels. A smile came to Emil's face._

"_Operation Smash and grab is now underway."_

_With that, the five dragons took to the sky, roaring their war cry. Emil headed straight for the castle as his brothers worked on destroying the army. Berwald took to using his paralyzing stare to stun his foes into submission while Tino slammed them to literal pieces. Mathias fired haphazardly into the crowd while Lukas was busy saving his ass from being assaulted by the catapults lobbing flaming debris at them. The sight of his family working together brought a genuine smile to Emil's face. Nevertheless, he couldn't stare in awe at their handiwork. He had his own job to do._

_Focusing on how his wings caught the air beneath them and how the wind flowed against his body, Emil flew effortlessly to the top of the tall tower. He could see the gold practically flooding the throne room. He launched himself headfirst through the glass and landed in the glimmering pile of jewels. In the center of the room sat a human, presumably the king, judging from the crown atop his head. Emil felt his scales stand on end at the thought of his first human kill on his first mission. And a king no less! He ran towards the king, temporarily ignoring the gold around him. The king did not move, accepting his fate._

_Or so Emil thought._

_The adolescent dragon halted mid-stride and took in the sight before him. The king was a round, yet muscular man. Even when just sitting, Emil could tell he was quite tall for a human. Still, he was just that. All humans looked the same, generally. Even his prominent nose could be overlooked. However, the familiarity was in the eyes. The cold, violet eyes that Emil could never shake._

"_Hello, friend." He said with a smile. The king walked over to Emil, who was still frozen in place, and placed a gloved hand on his muzzle. Suddenly, the king started growing. No, Emil was shrinking. His wings melted right off his body and his snowy white mane burst back onto his neck. As the cold king picked him up, Emil felt the skin and scales on his back crawl in agitation. He stayed silent as the king (he was unaware of if he represented Ivan or Vanya, though he hardly cared at this point) stepped slowly across the golden terrain, which turned to dirty snow under his shoes. The rest of the Nordic Five was nowhere to be seen, seemingly swallowed up by the large human army._

_Emil closed his eyes and willed all feeling away. He didn't want to feel the pain on his back. He didn't want to feel the angry fire in his stomach. He didn't want to feel the king's hands running themselves through his fur. In his newfound moment of lucidity, the young dragon willed himself awake._

And wake he did. He was glad he didn't feel the pain, but he knew the nightmare was not very far from his reality. His family is gone and he's stuck with a beast he's not even sure he hates or not. He knows he should. He killed Hana for Odin's sake! But with all this internal conflict and trauma to go through, the only thing he could do is to find solace in the comfort of the dragon's fur and imagine it belonged to someone else.

Emil found himself still curled up on Ivan and Vanya's back. During his time asleep, they had landed right next to a large lake. While Vanya was more concerned with getting a drink from the gleaming lake, Ivan marveled at the flowers in the surrounding area. Emil decided to stay put, not wanting to interact with either of them at the moment.

"Oh, Emil! You're awake!" Ivan said, looking back at him. He lowered his head to the water, right next to his brother. "Would you like to drink, too?"

Before he could even respond, a fish almost bigger than his whole body was slapped right in front of him courtesy of Vanya. He gesture caused him to flinch as he stared at the fish in wonder. It wasn't flopping around or anything, so they probably killed it earlier and saved it for him to eat.

"Of course he wants to." Vanya spoke up. "He needs to get his energy up once we finally make it to our destination. Switzerland is just across this lake. We should be able to make it there before nightfall."

Emil stared at the fish, then back to Vanya, then back to the fish, then at Ivan. He doubted they would poison the fish, since he was sure Ivan genuinely thought they were friends, though the idea lingered in his mind. After Ivan finished drinking, and before Emil could eat the fish, the dragon once again spread their wings and headed out, their destination ever so close. With the sudden liftoff, Emil's fish flew out of his grasp and flopped to the ground ungracefully. He was mildly upset, but with the amount of energy he had, he wasn't able to care that much. He simply settled back down into Ivan and Vanya's fur.

* * *

Lukas and Mathias stood positioned on either side of the throne room, just like old times. However, this was no time to reminisce. Berwald and Tino were being battered by the humans manning the catapults, and family safety was top priority. Still, this was nothing compared to previous sieges back before Emil and even Tino joined the group.

'Back then we were just called Scandinavia…' Mathias mused to himself. Then, as Berwald found Tino and Lukas found Emil, Mathias found himself with a bigger and better family than he could ask for.

"Oi, idiot. Focus." His best friend mumbled from the other side of the tower. "They're going to die in a few seconds, but I don't want the humans' last thoughts to be about some dragon acting like a dope instead of killing their king."

Mathias only smiled back. "Sorry Lukie, just got caught up in the moment." The blood red dragon steeled himself as he returned his attention to the king in the throne room. The helpless king stood with a sword gripped in one hand, looking back and forth between the two dragons. The Swiss haven't seen war in hundreds of years. They were unprepared. Complacent, even. It seemed as though only the king had the guts to face them head on. Nevertheless, no matter how hard the king trained, he would never be prepared for an attack from the great Nordic Four. Mathias summoned his strength and a ball of fire rose in his throat. He looked over to Lukas and an acidic liquid flowed from his jaws. The recipe for an explosive end never failed them before.

Suddenly, an angry roar was heard from the town square. Tino had stopped collecting the smaller pieces of gold from the normal citizens' houses and, instead, looked up to the sky, fangs bared in one part hatred and one part fear. Of course, no one else could see what got him so riled up, but whatever his Sniper Eyes picked up, it was serious enough to stop the assault. Berwald continued to use his tough scales to shield Tino from any oncoming threats, though he took his paralyzing stare off his adversaries for moments at a time to see if he could spot what had Tino so upset.

"It's them." Tino growled out.

Before long, Ivan and Vanya landed indiscreetly in the center of the action, a huge grin plastered on each of their faces. Both the dragons and the humans stopped their fighting momentarily to marvel at the new arrival. Lukas and Mathias struggled to keep their focus on the task before them. However, a snarl from Lukas set them back on track. He was sure Berwald and Tino could handle it long enough for them to get the gold and get out. The stream of acid continued to flow from Lukas' mouth until it was interrupted by a familiar cry. In the blink of an eye, Lukas' attack was directed at the monster with his little brother on his back.


	8. Chapter 8

Lukas had abandoned his post. As much as a dragon loves gold, the bond between family members was much stronger. While he was damn sure Mathias could fend for himself, he knew Emil could not. Lukas didn't know how or why he was out of the cave, but he knew he needed to get his precious baby brother away from this… thing! He narrowly avoided being scraped by the tops of tall buildings as he half-flew half-ran to the village square. The humans manning the catapults to snap back to attention and Mathias squirmed in his spot, unsure whether or not he should abandon the mission altogether. He didn't doubt his team, but it could be unsafe to continue.

Meanwhile, Berwald and Tino faced off against Ivan and Vanya. Berwald's instincts told him to continue shielding Tino from the catapults, but now he had to deal with a two headed dragon. It wasn't until he glared at Ivan, the lesser of the two threats, did he see Emil shuddering on the fiend's back. His eyes widened and he tried to tell Tino, but he had already attacked, sharp claws digging into the offender's necks. While Vanya's expression shifted to absolute fury, Ivan was left shocked. As if Tino could harbor anything other than hatred for the dragon for past skirmishes.

Emil felt something other than apathy or fear or anger for the first time since he stupidly left his home. It was genuine happiness. There they were. Lukas, Mathias, Berwald, and Tino. Right in front of him. However, that happiness lasted only a few short moments. He was staring down Berwald and Tino's growling faces and began to shudder again. Didn't they know he was right there? He didn't notice that Berwald realized his presence, as he was being distracted by Tino pouncing on him. He tried his best to cling to Ivan's back to keep himself from falling to his death. Tino's teeth and claws ripped into Vanya's side, threatening to take Emil with them.

Ivan roared in pain. He thrashed around, retaliating against Berwald in the process. No doubt he was going after Emil. No one was going to take his friend away from him. He didn't even notice that, in his thrashing, he had thrown Emil off. After a few seconds of thrashing, his eyes settled on Berwald's face. The Nordic was glaring at him hard. Despite every fiber of his being telling him to attack, he could not. The Nordic's stare had literally paralyzed him. Tino bit down on Vanya's head and turned it, forcing him to look into Berwald's eyes as well. Despite his fury, his side of the body froze. With the dragon effectively stopped, Tino could go about his vengeance as slowly as he pleased.

Lukas, who was rushing towards them, caught Emil a bit roughly in his mouth, saving him from a rough fall. The force he caught Emil with made him cringe. Though Lukas was trying to be delicate, he couldn't help his distress. In his focus, he managed to puncture Emil's skin with his razor sharp teeth. Emil squirmed in his mouth, but he dare not loosen his hold. He needed to get him out of here. Lukas flew away, glancing back at the chaos he left behind. Before making it completely out of the fray, he looked to Mathias and nodded. Mathias nodded in return just long enough to see his life flash before his eyes.

After the dragon turned back around, King Vash made the leap out of his throne room and onto Mathias' muzzle while the dragon was still distracted. Mathias jerked his head backwards in surprise. The human was waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and the Russian dragon provided the perfect distraction. The king forced his sword between two of Mathias' scales on his forehead and pried them loose, exposing the soft, pink flesh beneath them. Before the beast could move his head again, the king plunged his sword into the dragon's skull, crimson red blood spurting out of the wound. Mathias roared and leapt off his perch, shaking the castle beneath him. He flapped his wings and flailed his head sending blood flying in every direction. The king held fast; this was his only chance at victory. Mathias shot jets of scarlet flames in both anger and panic as he flew around frantically. In his frenzy, he flew back, away from the village and towards the lake. King Vash, in an attempt to strike another blow, pulled the sword from the dragon's skull. With a whip of his neck, Mathias threw the king down towards the lake, hoping to drown him. The red dragon had decided to call off the mission. The Nordic Four have failed. In order to slow his descent, Vash stabbed his sword into the dragon wherever he could. He caught Mathias' wing. As Vash fell, his blade tore Mathias' wing straight down the middle. Mathias' lost control over his flight and plummeted into the lake below with a desperate roar. Still, he tried flapping his wings to no avail. His awkward flailing flung Vash off his wing. In a last ditch attempt to remain airborne, Mathias brought his tail up, hitting the king with his tail spikes. Despite his efforts, Mathias fell into the water below, splashing around for his life.

Meanwhile, Lukas had also left the fiery chaos of the Swiss town square to ensure Emil's safety. While he would much prefer he go back to the cave, such a journey would be too long. He was leader of the Nordic Four alongside Mathias, and now they needed him more than ever. If Emil survived a night with Ivan and Vanya, then he should survive a few minutes out in the wilderness by himself. It would only take that long to crack the dragon's skulls open for attacking his family and ruining his plans. Lukas placed Emil down gently on a branch relatively high up. After he placed him down, he surveyed the damage he accidently did to his baby brother. There was some bleeding, but he'll live. He only took a few seconds to carefully lick his wounds when he was interrupted by a clamor of roars nearby. Mathias' roars.

Lukas rocketed off the tree branch and took in the horrific sight. He saw Mathias as his wing was slashed by the detestable human king. He took minimal pleasure in seeing the king being smacked by Mathias' tail. He could hear his spine crack all the way from where he stood, but he knew the king was the least of his worries. Being a fire dragon, Mathias couldn't swim. Lukas stretched his wings and took off, watching his best friend and brother sink into the blue depths of the lake. Like a star in the last seconds of its life, Mathias shot out jets of incandescent flames as his brilliant red scales faded to grey. Lukas got close enough to see Mathias' eyes look all around wildly as he struggled against his watery prison. Lukas tried to help him back out of the water when the king's corpse landed right on his muzzle. He shook it off quickly, not caring where it ended up. Focusing his attention back on his brother, he was met with a rough smack in the face by Mathias' struggling claws. Blood flowed down his cheek and Mathias flinched at the damage he had dealt. He stopped struggling and his scales silvered completely.


	9. Chapter 9

"You've got some nerve coming here Braginski."

Tino slowly circled the paralyzed dragon, surveying the now null threat with fangs bared. He looked for weak spots to exploit, though he had free range of attack. It's not like he could hit back anyway. After walking fully around the dual headed monster, he decided to settle on the dragon's necks. He started at the base of each neck, dragging his claws and watching the blood flow, dropping to the disgustingly white fur Tino had come to hate. It wasn't his first fight with Ivan and Vanya, but he would make sure this would be their last.

Berwald, on the other hand, feared for Tino. He had complete control over the opposing beast, but he had his limits. His eyes started to water as he tried desperately not to blink. It would only take a split second for Vanya to seriously harm Tino, judging from the current proximity. "Tino. Ya gotta leave."

Tino ceased his scratching. "Oh come on Ber, it'll only take a second."

Oh gods. Berwald knew this would happen eventually. Tino got a bit one-track minded once he transitioned from his sweet, lovable first form, in which he was barely taller than Emil. Now, in his second form, he was more intimidating and powerful. Tino had forgotten about the mission, and the safety of the team, as well as his own. Berwald willed his eyes to stay open for as long as Tino needed.

However, both dragons were painfully reminded of the looming human presence when flaming debris struck Berwald straight in his face. He roared as he reeled back and scrambled to claw the cinders out of his right eye. He could barely register Tino scream out his name before a large paw slammed down on his head. Berwald was frantic. He clawed at the paw on his head and kicked out his back legs aimlessly. Eventually, he felt the pressure on his head rise abruptly. He scrambled to his feet. Out of his one good eye, he saw Tino's jaws clamping down on Ivan's head, trying to lead the dragon away from Berwald.

Tino's heart was racing almost as fast as his wings were flapping. He glanced back and saw the titanic dragon tailing him closely. He also Berwald getting off of the floor sluggishly and flying behind. Berwald grabbed Ivan and Vanya's tail and managed to pull him back so hard, puffs of fur got yanked off. While Vanya doubled back to focus on Berwald, Ivan was intent on catching Tino, causing them to stretch their necks in opposite directions. This exacerbated the fresh wounds Tino scratched into their necks. Blood spurted from their wounds, staining their fur. At this point Berwald grabbed a hold of Vanya's head while Tino grabbed Ivan's. They began to fly in opposite directions, ignoring the strangled sounds of pain coming from each head. If anything, they enjoyed it. The sound of an enemy being wiped out was music to Tino's ears. Their carnage stopped only when they heard a roar of pain coming from farther away. They stopped pulling, but kept a firm hold on each head. The cry sounded again.

It was Lukas.

Berwald and Tino dropped the dragon with a gasp and immediately retreated the scene. They didn't even care to notice Ivan and Vanya drop to the floor with a loud _Thud!_ only to slink away before any more damage could be dealt. Tino had to help guide Berwald in his flight, but they were both able to clearly see Lukas floating in the middle of the lake, directing his roars and growls skyward. As they were flying up to him, they noticed something floating in the water. From what they could see, it was some poor animal that had gotten mauled and tossed into the water. Its form was an unrecognizable mess of blood, guts and what looked like yellow fur. The pair of green eyes seemed familiar though. Oh well. Unimportant.

The two dragons redirected their attention to Lukas, who seemed overly-preoccupied in his lamenting. He didn't even turn around as they landed in the water behind him. As they swam closer, wincing at how the water brushed up against their wounds, they noticed that he was holding something gray.

"Um, Lukas?" Tino asked softly. He switched to his less threatening first form, so to not come across as hostile. There was no response other than Lukas stopping his howling. He cast his gaze downward at his hands. Berwald and Tino looked down to see Mathias' lifeless face. The bold scarlet hue of his scales was replaced by a filthy, ash grey color with pale white tips. Tino teared up instantly. Berwald was silent.

"We need to go home now." Lukas' voice was hoarse and he barely spoke above a whisper. As much as he wanted to mourn, his family was in tatters, literally and figuratively. He picked Mathias' limp body up out of the water and began to fly off. The attempt was futile. Mathias' weight coupled with Lukas' weary state made flight impossible. Tino and Berwald exchanged looks.

"Lukas." Tino said in a small voice. "You can't carry hi-"

"_**Then help me**_." Lukas responded harshly.

Tino looked up to Berwald, who sighed heavily and grabbed Mathias' tail and back legs. Lukas held onto his neck and front legs. He flinched at the coolness of his brother's scales where a familiar warmth would have been. Lukas hugged Mathias' head closer, just in case there was some warmth left. Through teary eyes, he looked up to see Tino sitting atop Berwald's head. Berwald had his wings spread, waiting for Lukas to start flying.

"Tino." Lukas sighed. The small dragon perked up at his name. "Emil is in the trees over there." He pointed a shaking paw in Emil's general direction. Without a word, Tino flew off. The scenery was sickening to Lukas. Hearing the constant sloshing of the water that killed his brother and best friend made him want to claw his ears off. Even seeing the blood of the king in the water wasn't enough to satisfy him.

"Lukas!"

"What?!"

"Yer claws."

Lukas looked down to see that he had been clawing at Mathias' limp neck. A few silver scales cascaded down into the water below. Lukas flinched hard. He steeled himself and took off, not waiting for Tino, and totally taking Berwald off guard. He was annoyed at the king for killing Mathias, at Emil for being here, at how slow Berwald was, at Ivan and Vanya for ruining their plans. But most of all, he was annoyed at himself for not being there fast enough. Mathias could've been alive.

He had a headache. Switching from depressed to furious was more than he could handle. His wings, which normally allowed him to gracefully glide through the sky now flapped haphazardly, leaving Berwald in his wake. Lukas shifted Mathias in his arms in order to carry the weight he didn't allow Berwald to. Tears finally fell from his eyes, falling on Mathias' cheeks. Doesn't matter. He came for gold and all he got was dragon's worth of silver.

* * *

"Damn dragons. Always ruinin' everything."

"Why'd they have to come here? Can't they leave a kingdom in peace?"

A couple of humans walked along the woods surrounding the lake. Off on a hunting trip with nothing to show for it due to the commotion caused by Vash and Mathias, the two decided to head back. Someone had to tell everyone that the dragons were gone, assuming anyone else was alive.

"Bet all our gold is gone. Ain't got no food either."

"Let's at least try to fish. My wife and kids need to eat."

He was met with silence. He sighed. His partner could be annoying but he got the job done. More or less. If he was on board, they could get some fish to bring home to their families. The man began to trudge to the water's edge. There, he saw his partner standing silently by the water's edge. Good. Maybe he was already ahead of him.

"What are you waiting for? You know how to catch fish with ya bare hands right?"

Silence.

He simply rolled his eyes. He tiptoed over to the stocky man, ready to push him in. He could use some fun after the chaotic day he just had. Unfortunately, fate didn't work that way. His shoulders slumped as they both stared down King Vash's corpse. Dull green eyes stared back. That and the king's sword were the only indications that he was him. The great King of Switzerland was reduced to a mess of blood and entrails. The quiet man gently picked up the sword and walked back towards home.

Back in Switzerland, the snow was stained with blood. People came out of their bunkers and looked around at the destruction. Buildings were toppled and houses were robbed. Lili looked around frantically to see where her big brother was. She was shivering, but not from the cold. She scanned the emerging crowd, finding only regular citizens. No sign of Vash anywhere.

"My princess." A voice said behind her. She turned around, with a bit too much hope in her heart, and met the solemn eyes of a man she vaguely remembered holding a sword. He got kneeled down in front of her and presented the sword. The king's sword. She felt all eyes go to her and the sword she refused to pick up. She heard the same man say "I'm sorry, my queen" as the rest of the citizens kneeled down and sobbed. The oversized crown that her brother left on her head felt heavy, so she took it off.


	10. Chapter 10

A tiny white snout sniffled precariously in the dense bush. Tino's tiny head followed suit, looking for Emil's figure hidden where Lukas said he'd left him. If Emil is good at one thing, it was hiding. He was a bright blue against a thick green background but there was no one to be found. A few more paces forward and he spotted a hair, the same color as his scales. From Emil's mane, he thought to himself. Just then, he heard a rustling from a branch above. He employed his tiny wings and found none other than the little dragon he was looking for. His appearance startled the little one, but Tino's smile – albeit fake- seemed to offer some comfort.

"Is Lukas mad at me?" was the first thing Emil said. Tino's eyes widened until he regained his composure. He opened his mouth to say something but found himself shutting it. He wanted to lie and assure the younger one that everything was alright but the words died in his throat. He simply picked Emil up wordlessly and took off in the direction of their cave.

On Tino's way home, he found Berwald practically flying around in circles with his head tilted at an awkward angle. He looked left, then right, then down, and kept a paw over his injured eye. Emil tilted his head in confusion. He wanted to ask what his problem was but, upon looking up at Tino, he decided against it. Tino stared ahead at Berward solemnly. He deposited Emil on Berwald's back, making sure to approach from the left side. Still, no one said anything, and Tino just guided Berwald to the cave. Emil tried to curl up on Berwald's back, but unfortunately didn't find much comfort.

Lukas practically collapsed from lugging Mathias' body to the cave. He landed at the entrance, panting heavily with Mathias still firmly in his grasp. His tears had dried and reformed a couple times on the way here. Still weary from the journey, he lifted Mathias with the rest of his strength to the room where all the gold lay. He climbed the pile of gold and rested Mathias on top. Lukas noticed how peaceful he looked as he sat next to him, claws shuffling through the pile without thought. Lukas' eyes felt heavy and he almost drifted off to sleep when he found an object that jolted him to attention. A golden cross-shaped hairpin was being clutched in Lukas' shivering hands. He turned it over once, twice, three times, recounting the memories.

_Lukas curled up underneath a shady tree whilst the salty sea breeze flowed through his fur. He could enjoy a good nap right about now. Sleeping out in the open was nothing new for the cub. Everyone in the surrounding area knew who he was and would never disturb him, unless they have a death wish._

"_Hey, Lukie!"_

_Or unless they were Mathias._

"_Look at what I got from my awesome raid on the nearby village!" The red dragon puffed out his chest and raised his head high with pride as he brought out a golden cross from behind his back. Lukas opened one eye to look at the cross, then back at Mathias._

"_Congratulations." He said dryly and closed his eye again. _

"_Cool, right?" Mathias wagged his spiky tail and bounced in excitement, sending locks of scarlet red fur flying through the air and all over Lukas' sleeping spot. Lukas calmly batted away the fur, though some stubbornly clung to his own fur. Mathias walked over and cupped Lukas' face with one paw and swiped fur out of his face with the other. Suddenly, his face lit up with an idea. He grabbed the golden cross hairpin and clipped it to Lukas' fur. He then leaned back to offer him a toothy smile._

"_My baby fur's coming off and soon I'll be a huge, scary dragon! Looks like you'll be keeping your fur for a little while, so you can have it!"_

A small smile spread across Lukas' face as the memory faded. He absentmindedly touched the space where Mathias first placed the pin. He wound up losing all his baby fur before Mathias and his had nowhere else to put it. His smile faltered as he stared at the cross longer. He looked up at Mathias' corpse. It was beginning to smell. Lukas clipped the pin onto one of his ears. It was tiny now and it pinched him. He ignored the discomfort and curled up around the golden pile, wishing it was that shady tree from all those years ago.

**A/N: I'm not dead yet! So, before this I just updated whenever I felt like. Now, I don't feel like it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave a good story hanging! Writing is so much better once you get into the grove of things. Now, I'm going to have a bit of a schedule. My two stories will alternate from week to week, meaning That's Just a Myth will finally be off hiatus next week. Since this story is almost done (about 2 chapters left unless I decide to combine them into 1) that story will come back more often. Though don't be surprised if I upload some Steven Universe stuff. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed, I can't stress how important you are. It's good to know people still read this.**


	11. Chapter 11

Silence hung thickly in the walls of the cave. Berwald and Tino left some time ago, only exchanging brief looks before walking solemnly to the inner chambers. Their whispers barely echoed off the walls, making it sound like unintelligible hissing. Emil stood near the entrance for a while. He couldn't tell how long. Time seemed to have been askew since he embarked on the regrettable mission. He turned to look at the dense forest surrounding the area. He hadn't seen Mr. Puffin in a while. He hoped everything was ok.

Emil padded softly through the chambers of the cave. He never remembered it being so cold and barren. Even the central chamber was empty. He was somewhat grateful for this, though. After the stunt he pulled, he didn't want Lukas or Mathias to chew him out. Emil tucked his tail under his body and hunched his back. This wasn't the cave he remembered. In the days following the transition from winter to spring, Mathias would be rolling around in the snow, thus melting it and revealing the beginnings of green grass. Lukas would be catching fish, Tino would be exploring the forest, and Berwald would be doing some spring cleaning in the cave. Emil would've been upset if he had to help with any of the chores, but now he craved them. At least it brought the family together.

After a few minutes of aimless wandering, Emil reached the gold room. He didn't see anyone actually carrying any gold from the recent heist, but Switzerland is literally a gold mine. It would be impossible to raid it and not come back with at least a watch. Upon entrance, Emil spotted Lukas laying on the pile with his back to him. Emil flinched. Of all dragons to lecture him about his recklessness, it would be his brother Lukas. He started to back out of the room, hoping to spare himself from the lecture.

"Emil."

Too late. Of course his brother never missed anything. The young dragon stopped dead in his tracks and looked down. Lukas didn't say anything else, but he didn't need to. Emil knew he was in trouble. Emil trudged up to the pile. He tried to climb it, but the loose watches, trophies, and bars of gold made it difficult.

"Could you give me a boost, big brother?" Lukas always loved pestering Emil about calling him that. Eventually, Mathias caught on and demanded to be called that too. Berwald and Tino joined in for only a short while, but they quickly moved on. Thank gods, Emil thought. He hoped Lukas' favorite words would ease the tension between them.

It didn't.

Lukas turned around with a bitter expression. His brow was creased and his eyes were narrowed. Tear stains streaked his scales and it was obvious that he was trying not to bare his fangs. Emil slid helplessly down the pile with a shocked expression. He expected a stern lecture, not a complete breakdown. Maybe they hadn't gotten the amount of gold they wanted, but was it really a big deal? They still had a lot of it, their reputation was intact, and everyone was fine, right? Lukas stayed silent as new tears formed in his eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin with you." His voice was dangerously low as he stalked closer to Emil. Emil took hasty steps back but his small steps could not compare to Lukas' strides. He couldn't stop staring at those deep, abyssal blue eyes with pupils constantly adjusting from full, round circles to narrow slits, as if trying and failing to see who he once called little brother. "We specifically told you to stay inside the cave."

Emil tried to interject with an apology, but he couldn't manage to get the words out. Emil understood why Lukas was upset. He was always overprotective and Emil had to constantly remind him that he was fine. He thought Lukas was just being unreasonable again. That is, until he saw the familiar silvered dragon laying on the pile of gold behind his brother. The corpse's mouth was open in a silent scream as water ran down his body. Emil flinched. There was that feeling of the skin on his back crawling again.

"What were you thinking, Emil? We told you to stay in the cave until we got back! Now Matthias is…" he didn't dare finish the sentence, but Emil knew. Lukas looked depressed for a second, before his features folded in anger. Emil shouldn't have come. That damned Russian shouldn't have come. Why couldn't Berwald or Tino take care of him faster? How the hell did that human manage to kill one of the Nordic Four, and Mathias no less? Why wasn't he there when Mathias needed him the most? Lukas had his eyes shut tightly.

"Shouldn't blame 'im." Berwald mumbled, crawling in from a separate part of the cave. Tino trailed behind him. Lukas turned his attention to him.

"And why not? He should have known better! We told him-"

"No one could've predicted what happened there." Berwald spoke clearly, trying to pacify the mourning dragon. "All we can do now is move on."

Lukas narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to him, a snarl rising in his throat. Berwald turned his head so that his good eye was facing Lukas.

"What do you mean _move on_? How could you possibly move on so quickly?!" Lukas' scales quivered and clacked loudly against his body.

"Putting all the blame on Emil won't solve anything." Tino piped up.

"Lukas, calm down. You're being irrational."

That did it. Lukas lunged at Berwald and sank his claws into his side. Berwald slammed Lukas into the cave wall. A few stray pebbles fell from the ceiling. Tino transformed into his larger form and tried to get Lukas off Berwald. Lukas shot an acidic spray of bile at the offending dragon. Tino roared and reeled back as the acid seeped through his scales and burning his hand. Lukas was readying another spray when Berwald tossed him. Berwald stood over him and placed a massive paw on Lukas' neck, not hard enough to choke him, but enough to stop his blasts.

Emil shrank in on himself. His fur lay flat on his neck and his tail was curled up to his side. Lukas was right; this was his fault. Just watching Lukas' attacks made him feel nauseous. His breathing got heavier. With each puff of breath, a white smoke made its way out of his mouth and nostrils. The smell of burning wood filled his nose and made his eyes water. His entire muzzle felt hot. Emil wanted to look away from the fight, but a grunt from Berwald brought his attention back.

Lukas had kicked at his underbelly. The wound was open and gushing. Berwald thrashed from the pain, thus freeing Lukas from his hold. The smaller dragon took the opportunity to hit Berwald in his good eye with his acid. Berwald stumbled backwards onto Tino and clawed at his eye, trying frantically to remove the painful acid from it. Tino wheezed from having Berwald's full height on him. Lukas took this moment to prepare a final blast.

"STOP!" Emil shouted. Or, at least, that's what he wanted to say.

Instead, what came out was a gurgle. Emil was so caught up in his family's fight that he didn't notice the cause of the burning sensation in his face. Lava flowed out of his mouth, at first at a snail's pace, then all at once like an eruption. The blast of lava hit Lukas at the base of his throat. Lukas screeched as the lava made contact with his neck. The combination of the acid and lava proved to be too much for Lukas' scales, as they melted off, leaving his skin bare. Lukas fell and twitched uselessly until he lay completely still. His lower jaw and throat were completely obliterated.

Berwald couldn't see what Emil did, but Tino could. He stared at Emil in shock and stopped trying to get free from under Berwald. He shifted his position so that he could breathe better, but almost regretted that action. The cave reeked of burnt flesh and ash. Berwald took a sniff of the air and recoiled. What the hell just happened here?

Emil looked at his brother's corpse. Oh gods, he killed another one. He was the direct cause this time. He looked at Tino's horrified expression and Berwald's confused expression. He felt all they felt and more. The lava still poured from his mouth and ash still surged out of his nostrils. He felt the scales on his back split as if a fault line had passed through there. Out of all his feelings mixed up in his tiny dragon body, one screamed at him the loudest.

Run. Run away and never return. And so he did.

Emil ran as fast and as far as his tiny legs could take him. No one tried to stop him. He couldn't tell if they stayed put out of shock or fear, but that hardly mattered now. Nothing mattered now. It didn't matter how he tumbled down the mountain or got hit by the brambles. It didn't matter that he didn't know where he was going, just that he _was_ going.

He ran until he collapsed and found himself falling into a giant chasm in the earth. He fell on his side but ignored the pain. How could he when he saw two pairs of eyes that he swore to the gods he never wanted to see again? When he looked into those eyes, he saw a monster, both in the eyes' owners and in his own reflection.

"Hello again, friend! You came back!"

* * *

AN: Sorry I stopped updating this. I underestimated how stressful term 2 of senior year would be. But now I'm on break and I have time to get more work done. Epilogue is next.


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